


Two Becomes One

by TeamDamon



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:35:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22534834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamDamon/pseuds/TeamDamon
Summary: Goten has been in love with Trunks his whole life, but it’s too late when he finally starts to realize it. And to make matters worse, he can feel his best friend slipping further and further away with each passing day...  until one night that changes everything.
Relationships: Trunks Briefs/Son Goten
Comments: 8
Kudos: 215





	Two Becomes One

**Author's Note:**

> So I finished this little fic and then checked the word count and mentally cackled ITS OVER 9,000!!! and then I cringed and... yeah, anyway lol. I’m super late to the party when it comes to this ship but I hope I’m not alone, and I hope this doesn’t suck. Either way I enjoyed writing it immensely and am in love with these two :’) thank you so much to any and everyone who reads!!

Goten could hardly imagine a life without Trunks. It was like an impossibly wrong math equation - two plus two would always equal four, and so long as the world was spinning and there was air to breathe, then there would also be Trunks. They’d lived in each others’ pockets practically since birth, and Goten had never considered the possibility of anything else. 

He supposed that was thanks to his own naïveté, inherited from the father he looked damn near identical to. He knew that growing up would mean changes but not  _ that _ . Never that. And yet here they were, standing on the cusps of their futures, and Goten was starting to suspect their paths might diverge more than he was willing to allow. 

It started on Trunks’ 18th birthday party. Trunks had matured significantly in the last year, and he was halfway through earning his first college degree while Goten was struggling to keep up with regular old high school. Those factors alone had been keeping them apart, but then something  _ terrible _ happened. Trunks got a girlfriend, and Goten didn’t realize how much of a problem she was gonna be until the party. 

She was a cute little brunette thing, bubbly and charming and  _ all over _ Trunks. She monopolized his time and inserted herself into every conversation of his at the event, which Trunks didn’t seem to mind but Goten was pleased that Bulma and Vegeta were rather openly annoyed with her. He let himself feel validated by that, not caring if it was petty or not, and after it became clear that he wasn’t gonna be able to catch and keep Trunks’ attention that night, he slipped out to the backyard and decided to pout under a tree until he felt better. 

But that was the worst thing he could have done, as it soon turned out, thanks to the birthday boy himself and his little woman sneaking out for some embarrassingly noisy making out against the walls of Capsule Corp. Goten listened in horror as she giggled and Trunks murmured inaudible things between kisses, and even though he knew that he shouldn’t, Goten let his gaze fall on them just long enough to make his eyes start burning. 

Trunks only noticed Goten’s presence when he flew away into the starry night sky. 

—

A few days later, Trunks goaded Goten into playing hooky and skipping their classes to train. After sparring themselves into exhaustion, they laid next to each other in soft grass beneath a cloudy sky and Goten couldn’t help the question that floated to the forefront of his mind. 

“Hey Trunks?”

“Mm?”

Goten paused for a second, trying to choose his words right. ”Things are gonna keep changing, aren’t they?”

Trunks opened his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You just…. you’re busy all the time,” Goten replied quietly. “I hardly ever see you anymore. It’s weird. But I guess it’s part of growing up? I don’t know.”

Trunks turned his head towards his friend, but Goten kept staring up at the clouds as they floated by. “Yeah.” A brief pause, and then, “I don’t like it either. But that’s why I figured we should fuck off for a day and do whatever. I’ve missed you.”

Goten blinked a few times and turned to meet the other boy’s gaze, innocently asking, “You have?”

Trunks grinned and playfully shoved his shoulder. “Course I have, you doofus. You’re my best friend, why wouldn’t I miss you?”

Goten smiled back, warmth filling his heart at those words and the normalcy of the moment. This was the way things were supposed to be - just him and Trunks and an open field, the world at their fingertips. No annoying little brunettes to get in between them and take his Trunks away from him. 

“Oh hey,” Trunks added as an afterthought, sitting up and cracking his neck, “I forgot to tell you. I got us a double date set up.”

It was like taking a bucket of ice water to the head. Goten sprang up and stared at Trunks in confusion. “What?”

“Yeah, Kyra’s got a friend,” Trunks grinned, wiggling lavender brows. “I think you’ll like her. Kinda short, blonde, pretty big pair of -“

“Trunks,” Goten interrupted, blushing, “I don’t really… want to do that. I mean -“

Trunks shrugged. “Just give it a chance, it’ll be fun.” He rose up to his feet and wiped off the dust from his sweatpants, extending a hand to Goten. “C’mon, I’m starving. Wanna get dinner at that noodle shop in West City?”

Goten let Trunks help him up and shrugged in response, his own usually voracious appetite all but evaporating. He tried to play it off but Trunks knew him far too well. 

“What’s wrong, Ten?”

Goten shook his head and slapped a smile on his face, doing his best to appear fine and perfectly normal. “Nothin’! Just hungry.” When it became clear Trunks wasn’t convinced, Goten punched him in the shoulder and then took off flying, yelling “Race you there!” over his shoulder while Trunks cursed and quickly shot off after him. 

Goten was a shit liar, but he had a feeling he’d be doing a lot of it in the foreseeable future. 

—

The double date went even worse than Goten had initially feared. It was quite possibly the worst night of his life, and this was coming from a kid who’d literally  _ died _ before. In fact, the sweet embrace of death would have been preferable to the hell that the date proved to be. 

Kyra’s friend was as pretty as Trunks had claimed, but she was lousy at conversation and shared zero mutual interests with Goten. Awkward silences hung between them while Trunks and Kyra flirted and giggled with each other, the quintessential adorable teenage couple. They had dinner at a place Goten definitely couldn’t have afforded on his own - Trunks footed the bill like he always did, which always made Goten feel vaguely weird - and then afterwards went to see a new action flick at the local cinema. Goten thought that at least that would mean getting distracted by mindless entertainment, but he couldn’t even get that lucky, apparently. 

He ended up sandwiched between the blonde and Trunks, which would have been fine had Trunks not decided to spend the entire movie with his tongue down Kyra’s throat. The only upside to the experience that Goten could see was that he at least didn’t have to fake being ill to get out and go home early - he was genuinely nauseous and just wanted to go home and go to bed. Trunks tried to persuade him to stay, but eventually gave in and let him go. 

Goten returned home to Chi-Chi waiting up for him, ready to hear how her baby boy’s first real date went, but the answer to her question was written all over his mildly pale, sad face. She fussed over him like she always did, and while it usually annoyed him, this time her attention was comforting. She made him tea and draped a blanket over his shoulders and didn’t push him for details, opting instead to try to distract him with light conversation. It was nice. For as… intense as she could be at times, it was moments like those where Goten was deeply grateful to have Chi-Chi as his mother. He didn’t know where he’d be without her. 

He gave her a hug and kiss before retiring to bed, where he laid awake and stared at the ceiling as he wondered why he felt the way that he did. He was his father’s son when it came to his heart and his feelings, seeing the world through innocent eyes and always seeing the best in people, never holding grudges or judging people for their worst mistakes. And yet, he realized with a start, he  _ hated _ Kyra. He hated her the way he’d never hated anyone. He hated her face, hated her voice, hated the way that she dressed, and most of all he hated the way that she giggled whenever Trunks kissed her or tried to sneak a hand where it shouldn’t go. 

He wished that she didn’t exist. He wished that he could just… turn back time and make it so that Trunks had never met her. 

He fell asleep with drying tears staining his cheeks. 

—

To distract himself from his weird, confusing feelings, Goten spent the next few weeks throwing himself into his studies. In his free time he sparred with his father and Gohan, and he didn’t even complain when Chi-Chi recruited him to help her with chores. Anything to keep him from being alone with his thoughts was fine with him, even if it was laundry or dishes or helping Goku catch a few massive trouts for dinner. 

He pretended not to notice the lack of communication from Trunks. His cell phone stayed quiet and Trunks never came over, and Goten might have worried that Trunks was mad at him had he not known the real reason for his absence. He was just too busy sniffing after Kyra to think about his best friend, obviously, and Goten supposed he couldn’t blame him. He should have known this day would come sooner or later. It was silly to think that he could ever compete with a beautiful girl. 

At school, a handful of female classmates would always talk to Goten and smile at him and try to coax him into attending parties or other activities, but he always declined. He just wasn’t interested, and he never thought anything of it until a strange conversation with Gohan over lunch by themselves one weekend. 

“You know,” Gohan began awkwardly, cheeks a little reddened, “it’s okay to… you know. Not be interested in girls.”

Goten tilted his head like a confused puppy. “Huh?”

Gohan shifted in his seat. “It’s just… you don’t seem to… you know. Be that interested. In girls.”

Goten shrugged, shoving an entire egg roll into his mouth. 

“Or are you? Any girls at school catch your eye?”

Goten shrugged again, chewing inelegantly. “Not really.”

Gohan took a breath and forced his next question out. “Any, uh… boys?”

“The other kids at school are all kinda boring,” Goten replied, clearly not picking up Gohan’s meaning. “Don’t have much in common with them.”

Gohan exhaled. Goten really was just like their father. “Yeah. I know how that is.” Then he paused and, knowing the risk that he was taking doing this, asked, “Have you seen Trunks lately?”

Goten’s entire demeanor and aura just… dropped. The wind gone from his already tenuous sails, Goten muttered, “No. He’s busy with  _ her _ .”

Gohan’s heart broke a little for his younger brother. It was obvious to him what was happening, even though their parents were skeptical of his theory. Gohan suspected Goten himself wasn’t even aware, and it made him worry for him all the more. Being Goku-level oblivious was dangerous when it came to delicate emotional matters like these. 

“Well, try to cheer up,” Gohan eventually said, giving Goten a small smile. “Maybe they’ll break up soon.”

Goten scowled. “Or she’ll get hit by a bus.”

Gohan’s brows quirked up. Goten had it even worse than he feared. This was gonna get messy, he just knew it. 

—

A few nights later, Goten’s heart nearly exploded with happiness when Trunks knocked on his window with a grin and then slipped through it like he had a million times before. He jumped out of bed and they hugged briefly before Trunks flopped down on Goten’s small mattress, folding his arms behind his head and telling him he had a lot to catch him up on. Goten laid down next to him, their shoulders touching as he silently hoped that Trunks’ news would be that Kyra was now his ex or, even better, moving across the globe or recovering from being hit by a massive bus. 

Unfortunately, Goten wasn’t so lucky. 

“So,” Trunks said with a wicked little grin, “guess what?”

Goten rolled his eyes, though a stubborn smile that he couldn’t help remained plastered to his face. “You finally realized I’m stronger than you and you’re ready to admit that I’m the best?”

Trunks jabbed him in the side, and it tickled more than it hurt. “No, idiot. Way better than that.” Then he leaned in and, with a conspiratorially low tone, revealed, “Me and Kyra  _ did it.” _

Goten’s stomach dropped. The nausea he’d felt at the movie theater returned tenfold, and his hands felt weirdly numb all of a sudden. His smile slowly disappeared. “... What?”

Trunks simply smirked, caught up in his own little world, and turned his eyes up to the ceiling. “That’s right, Ten. I’m officially a man.”

Swallowing down a lump in his throat that might have been his dinner trying to come back up, Goten asked, “When? When did you…”

“Last night,” Trunks sighed happily. “And I gotta tell ya… it’s even better than people say it is.”

Before Goten could process the information or even begin to figure out what to say, Trunks launched into a detailed play by play of his night of passion with his girlfriend, and all Goten could do was lay there and stare at him while a piece of himself shattered inside. 

He didn’t want to know how easily Kyra moaned, how responsive she was, how quick she was to get wet, but Trunks spared him no details. He told him how she felt around his fingers, how fast she came once he figured out the right spot to rub, and how she returned the favor with her mouth. Goten was horrified, picturing everything in excruciating detail and finding it both repulsive and titillating. He didn’t mean to do it, but his mind erased Kyra entirely from the equation and focused on Trunks, imagining how he must have looked as he got his first blow job, the way he might have moaned and leaned his head back, eyes closed and brows furrowed, muscles clenching and relaxing and… 

Goten’s heart was pounding in his throat and his mouth was suddenly dry and his numb hands were getting clammy. 

“But none of that compared to the real thing,” Trunks sighed happily, closing his eyes at the memory. “Being inside her was like… fuck, Ten, I don’t even know how to explain it. Now I finally get the hype, know what I mean?”

“.... Yeah,” Goten forced out, watching Trunks’ throat work as he swallowed. Then Trunks turned on his side to face Goten, and Goten felt like his entire face caught fire. 

“We gotta get you laid,” Trunks said with sudden solemnity. Goten balked, blushing up a storm. 

“Trunks, no -“

“Seriously! You’ve got to feel it, Ten!”

“It’s not that big of a deal -“

“Yes it is!”

“It’s really not.”

“But Ten -“

“Trunks,” Goten finally snapped, “I haven’t even kissed a girl, okay?”

Trunks froze, disbelief written on his face. “Wait.  _ What _ ?”

Goten crossed his arms and clenched his jaw, staring resolutely at the ceiling. “Yeah. So just… stop. I’m not ready for any of that.”

“... Oh. Sorry, I didn’t… I just assumed.” Trunks blinked. “ _ Never _ ?”

Goten sighed and clenched his jaw harder. “You don’t have to be a dick about it.”

“I’m not! I just -“

“It’s not that big a deal, all right?” Goten said through gritted teeth. “I don’t even care, honestly. Besides it’s not like I’d know what I was doing anyway, so I’m in no rush to make a fool of myself.”

“Aw, Ten,” Trunks murmured, still on his side looking down at his friend, “you wouldn’t. Kissing’s easy.”

Goten scoffed. “Maybe for you. Everything’s easy for you.”

Trunks punched him softly in shoulder. “Dude, Vegeta is my  _ father _ . Everything is not easy for me.”

Goten slapped his hand away. “You know what I mean.”

Trunks sighed. “I’m serious. It’s not hard. It’ll just come naturally once you do it. Kinda like fighting.”

Goten chuckled and looked at his friend. “You’re full of shit.”

Trunks narrowed his blue eyes. “Say what you want, you’ll figure out I’m right someday.”

“Uh huh.”

“I mean look at you,” Trunks kicked his leg. “You’re a stud, Ten.”

Goten’s eyes flew open wide. “I’m a  _ what _ ?”

Trunks laughed at him. “I know you’re shy and innocent and all that and I love that about you but trust me. You’re gonna be a  _ beast _ once you get the opportunity.”

Goten’s ears were ringing. He was going to die, he just knew it. “Wh-“

“Which brings us back to my point. We gotta find you a girl.”

Goten deflated and sunk into the bed miserably. “ _ Ugh... _ ”

“It’s really not that scary, Goten.”

“Sure it is!” Goten argued. “Even just kissing is… scary. How will I know what to do? What do I do with my tongue? My hands?” He shuddered. “I’ll make an idiot out of myself.”

“Goten, look at me.”

Goten obeyed, even though it hurt a little bit to look at Trunks. Especially when he was so close. 

“Kissing isn’t scary. It’s fun. And as long as you just go with the flow and pay attention to what the other person likes,” he shrugged, “it’s a piece of cake.”

Goten made a face. “You and Kyra do it like you’re trying to eat each other.”

Trunks blushed a little. “Well, that’s… you don’t start like that. You gotta work your way up to that.”

“Looks kinda gross.”

Trunks smirked. “It’s not. It’s hot.”

Goten felt himself flush all over and turned away. “Guess I’ll take your word for it.”

Things were quiet for a moment before Trunks sighed. “It’s hard to describe with just words. Wish I could just… show you.”

Perplexed by what he meant, Goten turned his head towards his friend and looked at him quizzically. He found a tentative, difficult to read sort of look on Trunks’ face, and they each seemed to be waiting for the other to speak first. 

“I could.” Trunks’ voice was lower than usual. It almost made Goten shiver. 

Goten swallowed. “Could what?”

“Show you.” Blue eyes flickered down to Goten’s lips. “If you wanted.”

Oh.  _ Oh _ . 

Goten’s heart skipped a beat. Possibly several beats. Pupils dilating and breath quickening, Goten opened his mouth but no words came out. 

“It doesn’t have to be a big deal,” Trunks quickly assured him, though his tone was still low and he kept glancing down at Goten’s lips. “Just… just helping you out. Y’know?”

Goten made the mistake of looking down at Trunks’ lips, and he promptly forgot how to breathe. “But… you're…” His eyes flashed back up. “Kyra?”

Trunks shrugged casually. “You’re my best friend.”

“Oh.” Goten pretended that rationale made sense. His heart was pounding even harder now, if that was even possible. 

Trunks furrowed his brows a little, blinking a few times as if he were trying to focus but the task was proving difficult. “Do you… you want to?”

Goten nodded his consent quickly before he could open his mouth and ruin it all somehow. Trunks seemed surprised by his consent, swallowing and hesitating before exhaling shakily and slowly moving closer. 

“Okay. Close your eyes.”

Goten did as he was told, shaking like a leaf on the inside. He could only imagine how his ki felt to the other boy, but he didn’t have time to wonder for very long. He kept his eyes closed and held his breath as he felt Trunks draw closer, his heart skipping beats again when gentle fingertips brushed his jaw and angled him just so. Then, before he could panic and run away like he sort of wanted to, soft lips pressed against his in a chaste, sweet kiss - his very first one. 

Butterflies erupted in his belly, electricity shooting dizzily through his limbs at the simple, gentle touch. It was so little and yet so much, and the second it was over, both boys opened their eyes and stared at each other. Neither said a word, and Goten let his eyes roll shut again when Trunks leaned back in and kissed him again. This time the kiss lingered, Goten’s lower lip caught between both of Trunks’, and Goten’s mind went deliciously blank as he followed the other boy’s lead and kissed back gently. He might not know what he was doing but Trunks did, and Goten trusted him more than anyone else in the world to guide him through this. 

“See?” Trunks chuckled when he pulled away for a breath, looking down at Goten’s dazed face. “Told you it wasn’t hard or scary.” Goten simply blushed and found himself speechless, but that was okay. Trunks was already leaning back in to resume the lesson, whispering  _ relax _ just before their lips touched again. 

But how was Goten supposed to relax when he felt like he was about to spontaneously combust?!

It turned out, however, that he hadn’t seen anything yet. They kissed slowly and gently, Trunks keeping the kiss simple and letting Goten adjust to it before he decided to take it to the next level. The first brush of his tongue along Goten’s lower lip had him gasping, and Trunks barely refrained from smirking as he took the opportunity to slide his tongue in his best friend’s mouth and teasingly lick at his own tongue. 

It made Goten feel like his blood was suddenly made of lava. His entire body was on fire, and he knew in an instant that he’d never been this hard before in his life. Trunks didn’t let up either, nudging Goten’s tongue with his own and encouraging him to play and lick, and as always, Goten was more than content to follow his lead. It was intoxicating, making him feel things he’d never even imagined before. 

Trunks broke the kiss to take Goten’s hand and bring it to his soft lilac hair. “Touch me.” Goten’s eyes widened a little, fingertips shyly grazing just above the nape of Trunks’ neck. Trunks seemed to catch himself and his choice of words, blinking fast and then clarifying, “Girls… they like it when you touch them. Play with their hair and…” His eyes fell to Goten’s parted lips and then they were kissing again, and Goten felt like he was flying. 

For a split second he tried to play along for real, to imagine that Trunks really was a girl and not his best friend, but every cell in his body seemed to revolt at the mere suggestion. He didn’t want to do this with a girl - any girl, a deeply buried part of him knew - he wanted this with  _ Trunks _ , and he showed it in the way that his fingers curled to grip his hair and his other hand tightly grasped at the fabric covering the back of his shoulder. All the while they kissed with an increasing fury, Goten’s tongue growing more bold, and he couldn’t help but let out a little groan when Trunks bit at his lower lip.

Trunks chuckled lowly. “Like that, Ten?”

Goten whimpered and pulled him back down, crashing their lips together as those words reverberated through his entire body. This time Trunks groaned into the kiss, and then he shifted to lay halfway on top of Goten, his thigh snaking between both of Goten’s, and Goten gasped at the first brush of the older boy’s weight against his rock-hard arousal. He knew Trunks had to feel it, had to know what this was doing to him, but he wasn’t stopping. 

Rather than hitting the brakes, Trunks raised the stakes instead by slipping curious fingers beneath the hem of Goten’s thin t-shirt. The touch burned like fire, leaving a blazing trail along his skin as Trunks slowly slid his hand up defined abs towards Goten’s chest. Trunks broke the kiss when he cupped a hard pec, trailing his mouth down to Goten’s neck as the younger boy squirmed and gasped and lost all hope of controlling himself. A hot tongue flicking against previously undiscovered sensitive spots on his neck and fingers teasing at his nipple, Goten lost himself to the overwhelmingly intense sensations, hips rocking up against Trunks’ thigh before he even knew that he was doing it. 

And just like that, as easily as breathing, he rocked  _ one, two, three _ times and went stiff beneath Trunks. A whimpered cry left his lips as he came hard in his pants, stunning Trunks into raising his head and staring down at him in wonder. 

Too high on the rush to feel embarrassed or even care just yet, Goten panted as he came down and slowly opened his eyes to find Trunks gazing at him like… like  _ he wanted to devour him _ . 

“Ten,” Trunks whispered, “did you just…”

Heat rushed to Goten’s face, and he closed his eyes and turned his head towards his pillow to escape those startlingly blue eyes. 

“No, Ten, look at me,” Trunks insisted, turning him back his way and making him look him in the eye. “Did I make you come?”

Goten squirmed, knowing damn well that Trunks knew damn well what he’d done. “ _ Trunks… _ ”

Trunks stared down at him, his own cheeks flushed and sweat beading on his forehead, but before he could make his next move… the whole night was quickly shot to hell. The distinct sensation of vibration made itself known in Trunks’ pocket, alerting them both, and they stared at each other as the incoming call broke the beautiful spell that had so entranced them both. 

Goten’s heart sunk as Trunks untangled from him, reaching into his pocket to grab his phone and check the caller ID. Goten knew exactly who it was without having to ask, the answer clear just from the way that Trunks went pale and seemed to suddenly realize what he’d just been doing. 

“Fuck,” Trunks muttered, looking from the phone to Goten and back again. “I’ve gotta… I’m sorry, I have to go.”

Goten opened his mouth but no words came out, and he laid there helplessly as he watched Trunks scramble up from the bed and make for the window. He climbed out without another word, only looking back once. They stared at each other, both wanting to say something,  _ anything _ , but nothing coming out. Then Trunks was gone, and Goten was alone again. 

He had a sinking, horrible, nauseating feeling that he’d just ruined everything with the person he loved most in the world. 

—

The next day passed by in a surreal haze. Goten went through all the motions of his usual schedule, on autopilot as his mind focused on nothing but Trunks and what had taken place between them. He painstakingly replayed every second of it in his mind, overanalyzing and fretting and then getting all worked up again every time he did it, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t know if he’d done something wrong, if it had been all his fault, if he’d misread Trunks and taken it too far and made things irreparably weird. 

He spent lunch not eating but instead typing and deleting texts to Trunks, not sending a single one when all was said and done. When Chi-Chi came to collect his dishes from the table and found them untouched, she whirled around in shock and asked Goten frantically if he was sick or otherwise not well. He brushed her off until she put her foot down and demanded he tell her what was wrong, at which point he snapped at her to leave him alone and all but ran out the door and launched himself into the sky. 

So that was great. Just.  _ Fantastic _ . 

He spent the rest of the afternoon blowing up boulders in the middle of nowhere, agonizing endlessly the entire time. He only stopped when Goku instant transmissioned to him and cheerfully told him that they’d been invited for dinner at Capsule Corp. Goten wanted to die, but he took his father’s hand anyway and let him transport them back home to get ready for what would undoubtedly be the worst dinner of his life. 

Then again, maybe Trunks wouldn’t be there. Maybe he’d be busy with Kyra! Except that made Goten’s blood start boiling, the idea of Trunks avoiding Goten to spend more time with  _ her _ . But the alternative was seeing Trunks and facing him in front of both of their families, pretending that everything was normal and fine, and  _ dammit _ he couldn’t do that either. 

But he had no choice. He bathed and got dressed in the same grimly robotic way he’d been operating all day, ignoring Chi-Chi and Gohan’s concerned looks they kept shooting his way when they thought he wouldn’t notice. And when it came time to take his father’s arm and let him IT them to Capsule Corp, he simply hoped against hope that Trunks wouldn’t be there. 

But he was. And so was Kyra. 

—

Food had lost all flavor, somehow, but that didn’t stop Goten from nervously shoveling his dinner into his face to keep from doing something embarrassing like break down crying or shut Kyra up with a ki blast to the face. 

The dinner was, at once, both better and worse than Goten had feared. The adults were all preoccupied enough, Chi-Chi chatting with Bulma while Goku and Vegeta bickered over the food and who got to eat the most of it, and that left Gohan and Videl to try to make decent conversation with Trunks and Kyra. They made a valiant effort, but Goten was stunned by just how out of place Kyra truly was among them. She didn’t even seem to notice, however, and for the thousandth time Goten had to wonder what Trunks even saw in her. 

But that was nothing compared to the sorrow that threatened to overtake Goten when he realized just how… unaffected Trunks was by the previous night. He was acting totally normal, his usual cocky self, and he’d even greeted Goten with his usual hug when he’d first arrive. It was truly like nothing had ever happened, like it was a day like any other day. 

Like Trunks hadn’t slipped into his bed the night before and kissed and touched Goten behind Kyra’s back, making him feel things he’d never even dreamed of before and making him come harder than he ever had in his life. 

And somehow, that hurt more than anything. Goten felt all of two inches tall, like he barely mattered to the one person in the world he thought he’d die without. 

But Goten was no wilting flower. He was a proud half-Saiyan warrior and he could get through the stupid dinner, dammit, so he did. He let his hurt morph into something a little easier to handle - anger - and put on his own poker face. If Trunks didn’t care, then Goten would make him believe he didn’t either. 

It worked for a little while, before the night took an unexpected turn later. 

After dinner, Bulma had brought the group to the living room and broke out her favorite board games. Vegeta scowled and resigned himself to a night of misery - board games with the Son family were always unbearable - but everyone else was perfectly excited as they gathered around and took their places around the game of choice. The couples divided into teams, including Trunks and Kyra, which left Goten with nobody to pair up with besides Panchy.

Thanks to his purposeful lack of effort and Panchy being more interested in stuffing everyone’s faces with her little handmade desserts, they were the first team to be eliminated. Then Gohan and Videl were next, followed by Trunks and Kyra. As the parents battled it out for the win, Goten sighed and nibbled on a cheesecake bar and let his eyes drift towards his best friend and his annoyingly chipper girlfriend. 

Trunks was sitting with his back to the couch behind him, an arm slung over Kyra’s shoulder as he murmured something into her ear that made her giggle. Goten narrowed his eyes without even realizing it, softly glaring at them both and not even realize how he was staring until Trunks happened to glance up and notice. Their eyes met and Goten’s stomach flipped, and the mask of indifference that Trunks had worn so well all night finally slipped. And that was when Goten knew that it had all been an act. 

Trunks tried to recover quickly, turning back to Kyra and replying to whatever inane thing she had said last with a chuckle. But Goten didn’t look away, and when Trunks’ eyes wandered his way next, Goten knew exactly what Trunks was thinking about. Trunks didn’t hear what Kyra was babbling about, his eyes drifting down to Goten’s lips and neck before flashing back up again. 

Neither of them noticed Gohan, Chi-Chi and Bulma quietly taking note of the silent exchange between them.

A rush of bravery slithering through Goten’s veins, he excused himself and stood up, leaving the room without an explanation. Trunks watched him go until he disappeared from sight. 

Goten walked with no real destination in sight, but instinct took him to Trunks’ room. He’d spent countless nights there since they were kids, the house itself feeling like a second home to him, so it didn’t surprise him when he ended up there. He let himself inside and didn’t shut the door, leaning against the wall to the right as he crossed his arms and waited. He didn’t bother to turn on any lights, the moonlight wafting in through the windows enough for him. 

Only a moment or two passed before he heard footsteps making their way down the hall. His heart rate picked up, that bravery faltering a little as he waited and listened to the footsteps grow closer. He eyed the window and briefly considered making a run for it, but then he decided  _ hell no. _ He was doing this. 

The footsteps paused just as they reached the doorway. Goten held his breath, and then he turned his head just in time to watch Trunks walk into the room, cautiously as if anticipating danger. 

“... Ten?”

Trunks reached out to turn on the light, but Goten seized his wrist to stop him. Surprised blue eyes met determined black ones, and when Goten let Trunks go, he set his jaw and shut the door. 

Then they stood there in the moonlit darkness of Trunks’ bedroom, staring at each other as they each waited for the other to say something first. Goten nearly broke, but he decided that Trunks should be the one to speak first after leaving the way he had and acting completely unaffected all night. 

“Listen, Goten,” Trunks finally sighed, crossing his arms in front of him. Goten kind of wished he hadn’t - he was only in a black tank top and some well-worn jeans, and the stance only accentuated the muscles that Goten was trying hard not to focus on.  _ God how had he never realized how hot he was until now _ ? “Last night was… it got out of hand. I got carried away. It doesn’t have to make anything weird.”

That was exactly what Goten had expected him to say. It didn’t make it any less disappointing. 

“We just… you’re my best friend and… I don’t know. Made it easier for the lines to blur,” he shrugged. “That’s all.” 

He could hardly meet Goten’s eyes. He rarely could when he was lying. 

“I’m sorry,” Trunks concluded his little speech. “Can we just… pretend it never happened?”

All his life, Goten had been following Trunks’ lead. Trunks was always goading him on, getting him into trouble, talking him into crazy things that he wouldn’t have bothered with otherwise. Most of the time it was fine - Goten needed the push sometimes - but not now. Not this time. He wasn’t gonna let Trunks sweep whatever this was under the rug and swallow down his feelings and go back to living a lie. 

“No.”

Trunks blinked. “What?”

“No,” Goten repeated, more confidently this time. “I can’t pretend nothing happened, Trunks.”

Trunks’ arms slowly fell to his sides. “Ten, fuck, come on -“

“No,” Goten shook his head, taking a step closer to Trunks. “I’m always doing what you want me to do but not this time.”

“What do you want me to say?” Trunks asked in exasperation, reminding Goten of Vegeta in that moment - his visible tension in his shoulders, the set of his jaw, the inherent dislike of anything remotely involving uncomfortable emotions. 

“Just the truth,” Goten shrugged. “I think I deserve that much.”

“All right,” Trunks challenged, stepping into Goten’s personal space. “You want the truth? Here’s the truth, Goten - it didn’t mean shit, all right? I was telling you about sleeping with Kyra and I got myself all worked up and I - it just happened.”

Goten nodded, eyes flickering to Trunks’ mouth.. “Just happened.”

Trunks nodded, his eyes doing the very same. “Yes. Doesn’t count.”

He was so close that Goten could smell him, could feel the heat rolling off of his skin. “Just practice, right?”

“Just practice,” Trunks confirmed, barely above a whisper. 

They stared at each other, the air in the room growing unbearably thick, the tension palpable and undeniable. They were so close their chests nearly touched with each inhale, and Goten wondered if Trunks could hear the way that his heart was pounding against his bones. 

Goten would never know who reached for who first, but he would never forget the way that the dam finally broke and the way that their lips crashed together in a fiery kiss that set his very soul on fire. It was passion and pain and heaven all tied into one, and that was the moment Goten knew beyond a shadow of a doubt - he was hopelessly in love with Trunks. Maybe he always had been, ever since they were just kids and Trunks was the brightest star in his sky. 

Goten’s back hit the wall behind him as Trunks took control of the kiss, hands finding Goten’s waist as Goten wrapped his arms around Trunks’ shoulders. Trunks all but plundered his mouth with his tongue, none of the caution and finesse from last night anywhere to be found. This was sheer desperation and instinct, two men who had found that what they’d craved had been right in front of them all along. 

It turned out, much to Goten’s shock, that he hadn’t been the first to realize it. 

“You,” Trunks panted against his mouth between kisses, “are such a pain in my ass, Ten.”

Goten moaned and just pulled him closer, wishing he could just climb inside him and live right there in his arms. 

“So long I was good,” Trunks lamented lowly, dragging his fingertips through Goten’s shaggy, perpetually messy black hair, brushing their noses together. “I was  _ good _ , Ten. I got a girlfriend, I… fuck, do you have any idea how hard it was for me?”

Goten opened his bewildered eyes, not understanding. “Huh?”

Trunks let out a humorless laugh, stealing another kiss from his lips. “All this and you still don’t even know.”

“Don’t know what?”

“I have wanted you,” Trunks confessed shakily, holding Goten’s face in his hands, “ever since I knew what wanting meant. It’s always been you, Ten, don’t you get that?”

Goten blinked, utterly shocked at those words. He couldn’t be serious, could he? Was this some kind of bizarre, cruel joke? 

“You don’t,” Trunks sighed with a small, affectionate smile, tracing Goten’s cheekbone with his thumb. “Of course you don’t. You’re fucking adorable, you know that?”

Goten had no opportunity to answer before Trunks was on him again, kissing him like his life depended on it and sliding his greedy palms down to his hips. Goten let himself be sweeped away by the tidal wave that was Trunks, at least until they broke for air and some of the heated fog in his head cleared. “Trunks, what do you - are you saying -“

“Yeah,” Trunks murmured, knowing what he meant. “Always, Ten.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Goten asked in bewilderment, hardly able to believe that this was real and not some fever dream he would wake up from any minute. 

Trunks laughed breathlessly. “I tried,” he shrugged. “A lot.”

Goten could not  _ believe _ this. “I… I didn’t know.”

“I know. It’s okay,” Trunks assured him, kissing him tenderly and then passionately. “You’re my favorite pain in the ass.”

Goten giggled against his lips, his heart abloom with more happiness and warmth than he’d felt… ever, maybe. Everything felt right again, like the last few horrible months were just a distant memory already, and it was just them against the world again. He kissed Trunks hard, feeling like he could burst he was so full of love, and then Trunks took his breath away by reaching down and picking him up, holding him against the wall like he was feather light. 

Legs winding around Trunks’ hips, they kissed and kissed and kissed and started grinding together in a tentative rhythm. Goten had better control of himself than he did last night but no less excitement and desire coursing through his veins, the indirect friction their movements making him gasp lightly against Trunks’ mouth. He let his hands trail down Trunks’ shoulders and biceps, the warm skin there making him crave more as he reached down and started tugging at his tank top. Trunks pulled away long enough for Goten to pull the fabric off and toss it aside, his hands sliding up Trunks’ chest and touching him with nothing short of reverence. “Wow.”

Trunks chuckled. “We’ve seen each other naked how many times, Ten?”

“Yeah,” Goten sighed, cupping his pecs and giving them a gentle squeeze, biting his lip. “But this is… different.”

Trunks reached down and took one of Goten’s wrists, pulling it upwards as he mused, “Yeah it is.” Then he looked Goten dead in the eye as he guided one of his fingers into his mouth, licking and sucking it in slowly and making a show of it, and Goten had no idea how he didn’t come right then and there. 

“Oh my God,” Goten whimpered, watching with his jaw on the floor, and Trunks simply grinned before taking a second finger into his mouth. There was no two ways about it, he was treating his fingers like he would a cock, and Goten had no idea what to do. “Trunks, I’m - I might come if you keep that up.”

Trunks laughed and let his fingers go with an unnecessarily filthy pop, bringing his hands to Goten’s ass instead and pulling him up tighter against him. “Nuh uh, Ten. You’re coming when I say you can.”

Goten was going to die. He was going to die, and it was going to be the best death ever, and he wasn’t even mad about it. 

Trunks made quick work of Goten’s own shirt, and he managed to undo and push down both of their pants far enough to get their cocks out. Goten looked down the second he felt the cool air on his overheated skin, wanting to  _ see _ Trunks and see them together. It was a beautiful sight, far more so than he would have ever expected. Trunks was a little bit bigger than him - just a little - and his skin was a few shades darker, and Goten made a mental note to make sure and get his mouth on that cock the next time around. His mouth watered at the mere thought, the idea of getting down on his knees and choking on it making him wanna just - 

“Oh fuck,” Goten cursed when Trunks took both cocks in his hand, lining them up and stroking slowly up and down. He could hardly tear his eyes away from the sight, intoxicated by it and the almost painstakingly slow movements of Trunks’ hand, but insistent lips crashing down on his forced his eyes closed a moment later. 

_ This _ , Goten realized as Trunks’ tongue played filthy games with his own, his hand stroking them both towards ecstasy, was better than fighting. It was better than eating. It was better than flying up to the highest heights, the freedom of the wind blowing through his hair. It was better than the addicting taste of victory. It was…  _ right _ . It was beautiful, and Goten knew he was never gonna be the same after this. 

“Feel good, Ten?” Trunks groaned into Goten’s ear as he kissed beneath it, the pace of his strokes getting a little faster. 

“So good,” Goten moaned in reply, hips rocking up to try to fuck into that tight fist. The slip and slide of Trunks’ own dick against his made it all the more breathtaking. “ _ Trunks, fuck _ .”

“Mm,” Trunks hummed, licking hotly up Goten’s neck as his fist sped up a little more. “Say my name again.”

“Trunks,” Goten obeyed immediately, his fingers sliding into Trunks’ hair and gripping it hard. “Ah, Trunks, T -  _ oh… _ ”

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Trunks marveled, leaning back to watch as Goten’s head fell back against the wall, eyes closed and lips parted and pale cheeks a gorgeous shade of pink. Trunks leaned in and nuzzled Goten’s neck, nipping at it with his teeth as he murmured, “All mine, Goten.”

“All yours,” Goten sighed happily, Trunks’ possessive words filling him up with so much happiness he could hardly believe it. “All yours, Trunks.”

Trunks sucked a bruise at the base of Goten’s neck, licking at it after as he continued to jerk them both off, though his patience was dwindling and his need skyrocketing the longer they touched. Goten himself was barely hanging on, his desire to obey Trunks and make him happy the only thing keeping him from coming too soon, but  _ fuck _ he couldn’t take much more of this. 

Trunks groaned as he dragged the tip of his nose up Goten’s throat, bumping his chin lightly and then kissing the corner of his mouth. “You wanna come for me, Ten?”

Goten let out a strangled moan. “Please, Trunks, I need it…”

Trunks groaned and kissed him sloppily, hand flying fast now, sweat trickling down his temple. “Fuck, Ten…”

Goten clung to Trunks like a lifeline, whispered pleas pouring from his lips until Trunks finally gave in at last and told him  _ now, Goten, come for me now _ and Goten obeyed like he’d been born to follow Trunks’ orders. They came together in Trunks’ hand, shuddering and gasping against each other as their orgasms washed over them, making a beautiful mess all over both men. It was nothing short of divine, leaving both Trunks and Goten boneless and sated, helpless to do anything but slide down to the floor wrapped up together in each other’s arms. 

They shared soft, sweet kisses as their heart rates slowly returned to normal, both seemingly unable to go more than a few breaths without the contact. It was some time before they came back to their senses long enough to break away and look at each other with clearer, sharper eyes, Goten smiling shyly up at his best friend in a way that seemed to contradict their current debauched states - tangled up together mostly naked on the floor, covered in each other’s come. 

“You’re not gonna freak out now and run away again, are you?” Goten asked nervously, the mere thought of such a thing almost too much to bear. 

Trunks shook his head, cupping Goten’s jaw. “No, Goten. I’m done running away, as long as you are too.”

Goten nodded happily, a watery smile on his lips as they kissed one more time. This, he thought, was the definition of  _ bliss _ . Surely nothing could ever come close to this, certainly not in this lifetime, he was sure of it. 

Eventually they managed to disentangle from each other and get to their feet, cleaning up in the bathroom while trading sly looks and stupid grins. Trunks lent Goten a pair of his pants - his own were… not quite presentable - and by the time they were both clean and decent again, all they  _ really _ wanted to do was get dirty again. 

Trunks pressed Goten to the door when he tried to lead them out, the younger boy giggling and playfully trying to push him away. “Knock it off, Trunks, someone’s gonna come looking for us soon.”

Trunks groaned and kissed down his neck, licking over the nicely purpled bruise he’d left where his throat met his shoulder. “Like I care,” he groaned, nipping at Goten’s collarbone. “Come on, just a little more.”

“Trunks,” Goten whined with a laugh, reaching behind himself and grabbing clumsily at the doorknob. He managed to fling the door open and they stumbled through it, arms around each other and hearts in their eyes as they stole a few more kisses in the hallway. 

Then there was a pointed, deep clearing of a throat, and both boys’ eyes popped open as they broke apart and whipped their heads around to find out who’d caught them. 

It was Vegeta. Of all the people it could have been… it was  _ Vegeta _ . 

Goten froze in horror and stared as Trunks paled before turning a vague shade of green. Vegeta, however, simply stood there with his arms crossed, scowling as usual, dark gaze flitting back and forth between his son and Kakarot’s youngest spawn. 

Finally, his eyes narrowed on Trunks. “It just  _ had _ to be Kakarot’s boy, didn’t it?”

Trunks’ already widened eyes became even larger. “Wh-“

“Of course it is,” Vegeta grumbled. “And now I’ll never hear the end of it from your mother. Do you have any idea how insufferable she’s going to be about this?” He tightened his arms and turned his head, glaring off into the distance. “I might as well just move out now. I wonder if I can take the gravity room with me.”

Trunks blinked. “Uh… Dad -“

Vegeta scowled harder and fixed his perpetually hardened gaze back on Trunks. “The Earthling bimbo left after it became clear she was no longer the center of your attention. She blubbered something about breaking up before storming off like a child.”

Inside, Goten threw a victory punch into the air. Trunks simply blinked again and muttered, “Oh. Well, I -“

“Get downstairs,” Vegeta barked, turning his back and marching towards the stairs himself. “And bring the third class thorn in my side with you.”

Once Vegeta was out of sight, Trunks and Goten looked at each other with wide eyes. 

Goten gulped. “Did that just happen?” 

Trunks nodded. “Unfortunately.”

A few seconds passed, and then Trunks squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, as if preparing for battle. “All right. Let’s get this over with.”

Following Trunks down the hallway and then the stairs, Goten wondered what would happen next. He was scared of everyone finding out - especially his mom, who he really had no idea how she’d react - but now that Vegeta knew, he figured any chances of taking this slow and easy were shot to hell. Panic began to crawl up his throat as all the worst case scenarios ran through his mind - Chi-Chi being disgusted and yelling at him, Gohan being confused and also disgusted, Goku just sitting back and doing nothing or going along with Chi-Chi like he always did when he didn’t know what else to do. Maybe Bulma would hate Goten now, seeing him as a low class runt who was trying to drag Trunks down with him. Maybe by the end of the day he’d lose his whole family and not be able to do a damn thing about it. 

Icy cold fear enveloping his heart, Goten timidly followed Trunks into the living room where everyone was still hanging out, keeping his eyes down rather than looking at anyone. The room was eerily quiet, all eyes on them, and Goten was pretty sure he’d never been more uncomfortable in his life. Or scared. 

Finally he managed to lift up his eyes and quickly scan over everyone. They were all…  _ smiling _ ? (Except Vegeta, of course, who claimed to only smile when locked in intense combat.)

Chi-Chi looked… relieved and happy as she smiled at her youngest son. Goku looked vaguely confused as usual, Gohan mirroring Chi-Chi’s expression, and then… there was Bulma. 

“Well, hey there, son,” she grinned, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. “What were you two troublemakers up to?”

“Studying,” Goten blurted out the same moment as Trunks replied “sparring”. They looked at each other and cringed, and Bulma whooped with delight as Vegeta let out a groan of misery. 

“See?! What did I tell you?!” she shouted to Chi-Chi and Goku. “You guys owe me a hundred Zeni!”

Goku groaned. “But that’s no fair! You’re already rich!”

Bulma raised a brow and smirked. “A bet’s a bet.”

“Well I don’t care about any bet,” Chi-Chi declared, getting up and marching up to her son with open arms. “All I care about it my sweet little Goten.” She hugged him tightly as he stood there blushing and dying, and then she pulled away and cupped his cheeks as she placed a tiny kiss on his forehead. “Whatever - and whoever - makes you happy, sweetheart. Boy or girl or anything in between, it doesn’t matter to me, okay? I love you.”

Goten was stunned. Relief washed through his very bones, his eyes growing blurry as he smiled back, “I… love you too, Mom.”

She gave him one last proud smile before turning to Trunks, at which point her happy demeanor shifted into something so threatening and intimidating that Trunks couldn’t help but go pale  _ again _ . 

“As for you, young man… if you hurt my Goten,” she poked him in the chest, “you’ll have  _ me _ to answer to. And no Super Saiyan nonsense will save you from my wrath, I promise.”

Trunks gulped. “Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Oh please,” Bulma scoffed, “as if Trunks is the only one we have to keep an eye on.”

Chi-Chi scowled and whirled around to face the other woman. “Excuse me?”

“Oh God, there they go,” Trunks murmured, grabbing Goten’s hand and turning to make a run for it. “Come on, let’s -“

“Hey guys!” Goku chirped, suddenly and unexpectedly standing right behind them. “So, you two are… goin’ out?”

Goten cringed and Trunks blushed, the latter replying, “We’re still figuring it out, sir, but y-“

“That’s awesome!” Goku replied happily, clapping Goten on the shoulder. “You know, Gohan and Bulma have been convinced for ages that you guys were secretly in love but me and Chi-Chi thought they were crazy. Guess we were the crazy ones, huh?”

Trunks and Goten both wanted to die right where they stood, but Goku then managed to make things even worse by poking his head around them and yelling, “Hey, Vegeta! If they got married we’d all be family! Wouldn’t that be awesome?! One big happy half-Saiyan family!”

From the couch, Vegeta yelled back, “I hate you, Kakarot.”

Horrified, Goten mumbled something incomprehensible and then yanked Trunks with him as he literally ran away from the entire train wreck, neither of them stopping until they were outside in the relative peace and quiet. 

“Oh my God, they’re all insane,” Goten gasped, dropping his face into his hands and wailing in embarrassment. “Kill me, Trunks. Don’t even bother wishing me back, either. This is how I die.”

Trunks laughed and threw his arms around his friend - boyfriend? - and held him close. “It’s okay, Ten. They’ll calm down eventually.”

Goten buried his face into Trunks’ neck. “I thought they’d be mad,” he confessed. “Especially my mom. I thought… I thought they’d hate me and think I was…”

“Shhh,” Trunks hushed him, kissing the top of his head. “We got lucky. They might all be nuts but we’re lucky to have the families we’ve got.” Then he gently lifted Goten’s head up, smiling softly at him. “Besides, who could ever hate you?”

“... Probably Kyra,” Goten grimaced. But Trunks just kissed him and smiled. 

“Eh, she just liked my money. She’ll get over it.”

Goten opened his mouth to answer but was distracted by his phone buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out and unlocked it to find a new text from Gohan. 

_ Hey buddy, I know you’re probably overwhelmed and want some privacy so I figured I’d just text you. I want you to know I’m really proud of you and I’m happy for you, and I’m here for anything you need. Videl too. Love you, little brother. _

Happy tears stinging his eyes, Goten let out a shaky breath as he put the phone back into his pocket. Then he turned around and laid his head back on Trunks’ shoulder, melting into the older boy as he wrapped his arms around Goten, their gazes lifting up to the starry night sky. 

Trunks nudged at Goten’s temple with the tip of his nose. “What you thinking about, Ten?”

“How happy I am,” Goten sighed, smiling when Trunks lightly kissed his cheekbone. 

“Me too.”

In the end, Goten decided maybe changes weren’t always so bad. Sometimes, if you were really  _ really _ lucky… they might even be the best thing that ever happened to you.

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
